Guard for bowling pin setters



p 7, 1954 G. A. MONTOOTH 2,683,487

GUARD FOR BOWLING PIN SETTERS Filed May :51, 1950 flazzzoozll Patented Sept. 7, 1954 GUARD FOR BOWLING PIN SETTERS George A. Montooth, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a corporation of Delaware Application May 31, 1950, Serial No. 165,130

'7 Claims. 1

The invention relates more particularly to a bowling pin setter embodying means for protecting the pin setter mechanism from damage by bowling balls which may be rolled while the mechanism i lowered to set pins.

Objects of the invention are to provide a pin setter deck structure with a new and improved guard means which will deflect or ward off balls when the pin setter deck structure is in its lowered or pin-setting position, and to provide a guard device which is of relatively light weight 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

While there is illustrated in the drawings and herein described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Serial No. 79,691, filed March 4, 1949, on Bowling Pin Setters. The invention is shown as embodied in a pin setter of the general type disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,626,446 of April 26, 1927, to Bishop, to which patent reference is made for a more complete disclosure of a pin setter and one type of operating means therefor.

Referring now to the drawings, the pin setter is mounted above the pin deck of an alley bed on vertical pipe supports as shown at 8 which are bolted or otherwise secured to the alley kickbacks 9. The pin setter comprises a vertically movable, horizontally disposed deck structure F comprising a receiving frame having an upper deck portion Ill and a lower deck portion II. These frame portions are rigidly secured together in vertical spaced relationship by a plurality of bolts l2. A setting frame I3 is arranged between the upper deck portion and the lower deck portion I l of the receiving frame, and is vertically movable conjointly with and relatively to the receiving frame, being guided in its relative movement by the bolts l2. The setting frame I3 is carried on the lower ends of a plurality of rods, as

the rod 15, these rods being connected at their upper ends to an overhead operating mechanism (not shown) which may be similar to the mechanism shown in the earlier mentioned patent, or which may comprise electrically operated mechanism as shown in said copending application. The receiving frame is carried by the setting frame and the entire deck structure is movable from an elevated or pin receiving position, as shown, to a lowered or pin setting position wherein bumpers [6, carried on the lower ends of the bolts l2, engage the alley bed.

Each frame has suitable vertically aligned openings therethrough, ten in number, and located in proper position for the ten pins which are to be set on the alley bed, these vertically aligned openings defining passageways ll for pins to be set through the deck structure. The frames normally have an elevated position adjacent the upper ends of the kick-backs 9 as shown in Figure 2, out of the way of the bowling pins standing on the alley and the balls rolled over the alley. When the deck structure is lowered to set pins, the lower deck portion l l is about on a level with the center of the ball rolling on the alley.

In the form illustrated the deck structure is provided with a guard to ward 01f bowling balls which reach the pin setter location while the deck structure is in its lowered position. This guard consists of a somewhat U-shaped member l8 of plywood or other suitable material extending along the front of and along the sides of the deck structure and suitably secured thereto adjacent its rear ends. The front end of the member I8 i supported on the deck portion Ill by means of a somewhat circular spring [9 fastened to the member [8 by a clip 20. The rear ends of the spring H] are formed with loops which surround pins 2| carried on brackets 22 on the upper deck portion Hi. The spring 19 is adapted to yield in all directions from which a ball may strike the frames, the member I8 during any such yielding of the spring being sufficiently flexible to bend or bulge as may be required. The spring 19 preferably fits loosely in the clip 20 and the rear end of member It carries clips 23 which interengage loosely with metal bars 24 which are fastened to the upper deck portion l0 and have their free ends extending parallel to the adjacent ends of member It to provide slidable mountings for the guard member. This permits the use of a relatively light and flexible member which resumes its original position after a ball has been warded off. i

I claim:

1. A guard device for protecting the deck structure of a bowling pin setter while in its lowered position from injury by balls comprising a U-shaped member of flexible material positioned horizontally in front of .and along the sides of said deck structure, and means for supporting said member on said deck structure including a C-shaped spring member having its mid-portion connected to the mid-portion of said U-shaped member and having its ends pivotally supported on said deck structure.

2. A guard device for protecting the deck structure of a bowling pin setter while in its lowered position from injury by inadvertently rolled balls comprising a U-shaped member of plywood positioned horizontally in front of and along the sides of said deck structure, means for supporting said member on said deck structure, including a c-shaped spring member having its mid-portion slidably connected to the mid-portion of said U-shaped member and having its ends movably supported on said deck structure, and means for supporting the ends of said member on the deck structure.

3. A guard for the deck structure of a bowling pin setter comprising, a flexible member extend ing along the front and sides of said deck structure and having its ends slidably connected to said deck structure and a C-shaped spring member positioned in front of the deck structure and loosely secured to said flexible member and having its ends pivotally supported on said structure.

4. A guard for the deck structure of a bowling pin setter comprising a flexible member adapted to extend along the front of the deck structure when in its lowered position and a C-ehaped spring member secured to said deck structure and having its mid-portion connected to the midportion of the flexible member.

5. A guard device for protecting the deck structure of a bowling pin setter while in its lowered position from injury by balls comprising a U- shaped member of flexible material positioned horizontally in front of and along the sides of said deck structure, and means for supporting said member on said deck structure including a C-shaped spring member having its mid-portion slidably connected to the mid-portion of said U- shaped member and having its ends supported on said deck structure, said U-shaped member having its ends slidably connected to said deck structure, said slidable connections enabling said U- shaped member to resiliently yield with the impact of a bowling ball and subsequently return to its normal position.

6. A guard device for protecting the deck structure of a bowling pin setter while in its lowered position from injury by balls comprising a U- shaped member of flexible material positioned horizontally in front of and along the sides of said deck structure, and means for supporting said member on said deck structure including a C-shaped spring member slidably connected to said U-shaped member intermediate its ends, said U-shaped member having its ends slidably connected to said deck structure, said slidable connections permitting said U-shaped member to resiliently yield with the impact of a bowling ball and subsequently return to its normal position.

7. A device for protecting the deck structure of a bowling pin setter in its lowered position from injury by bowling balls comprising, a flexible generally U-shaped member positioned horizontally in front of and along the sides of said deck structure, and means supporting said U-shaped memher for longitudinal and transverse movement relative to the deck and including a longitudinally and transversely yieldable spring element laterally slidably connected to the mid-portion of said flexible member at one portion thereof and connected to the deck structure at another portion thereof spaced longitudinally from said one portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 764,676 Prouvost July 12, 1904 2,221,697 Ball Nov. 12, 1940 

